Publisher of Special Interest Books for the Amazon Kindle Specializing in Self-Development Books Related to the Writings of Wallace D. Wattles

Stress Management

04/22/2018

No matter what your specific situation looks like, everyone gets overwhelmed and worn out from time to time. You know how it goes - the little daily stressors in your life all seem to pile up at the same time, and you feel like you're being pulled in every direction. You certainly can't tackle everything at once, so how do you make that awful overwhelmed feeling go away?

By bringing some balance into your life!

Sounds easier said than done, right?

But actually, it's not that hard to start living a more balanced life. The key is to start with yourself. Your life will never feel balanced if you always feel out of whack. Once you get yourself balanced, the external stuff will start to fall into place.

But how do you do that?

Just follow these 4 steps:

1. Stop putting yourself last.

When life gets really busy, what's the first thing you cut out of your schedule? If you're like most of us, you skip out on your "me time". After all, with all of these responsibilities hanging over your head, it would be wrong to sit back and soak up some personal quiet time, right?

Wrong!

If you skip out on relaxation, you're only going to feel worse. It won't take long for your energy to run out, and you won't be able to accomplish anything on your mile-long to-do list. That's why it's so important to squeeze in a little bit of time for a quick meditation session, a short walk around the neighborhood, or a chapter of your favorite book. That way, you'll feel rejuvenated when the responsibilities come calling.

2. Cut out the negative self-talk.

If you're like the rest of us, when you're stressed out and exhausted, that little voice in your head starts saying all kinds of horrible things. You'd never say any of these nasty things to your family and friends, so stop saying them to yourself!

The best way to make that mean little voice go away is to take care of your physical needs. Get eight hours of sleep, eat healthy foods instead of stopping at the nearest drive-thru, and get at least a little bit of exercise in each day. The kinder you are to yourself, the kinder that little voice will be.

3. Stop "shoulding".

Think back to when you were a kid. What kind of life did you envision for yourself? Does your current life look anything like that? Everyone has this idea of how their life "should" be. Then, when something gets in between you and your "shoulds", you feel completely overwhelmed.

The next time all those "shoulds" invade your thoughts, remember that even if something "should" be different, it may not be better. The grass isn't always greener. And even if some of those "shoulds" would have made your life better, stop thinking about them. You'll never feel OK if you're constantly trying to live up to unrealistic expectations.

4. Don't be afraid to rein in some activities.

All of this internal balancing won't do you any good if you're constantly trying to sprint through life. No one can keep up a hectic, never-stop, full-speed-ahead pace, so stop trying.

For example, if you feel overwhelmed because you always make a ton of appetizers for your weekly book club meeting, ask everyone to bring a small dish of their own. That way, you'll still have yummy stuff to snack on, but you won't have to shoulder all of the cooking responsibilities by yourself.

Not sure which activities can be throttled back? Keep an eye out. You'll start to see things that don't fit into your new balanced lifestyle. When you confront one, figure out how to rein it in.

Now that you've got the power to balance your life, go take advantage of it!

Here's a bonus tip:

5. Get real clear about what's truly important to you and what you really want next in your life.

Balance is relative to what's truly important to you and what you really want next in your life. In other words, what balance is to me may not be balance to you. Why? Because, odds are, what's truly important to me and what I really want next in my life is totally different than what's truly important to you and what you really want next in your life.

If you need some help in this regard, I highly recommend my Wallace D. Wattles Quick Start Guide and my Wallace D. Wattles Advanced Vision Guide. Between the two of them, you'll learn how to determine what's truly important to you and create a next-level vision that reflects those values and what you really want next in your life. Click or tap the links below to get your copies today.

While you're at it, I also suggest you grab a copy of my Wallace D. Wattles Productivity Acceleration Guide, which will show you how to organize and manage your time in such a way as to bring your life into alignment with your values and your next-level vision, and, thus, into balance. Click or tap the link below to get your copy today.

01/31/2016

No matter how hard you try to stay calm, stress has a bad habit of popping up. It can make you feel downright miserable, but did you know that it can also have a major effect on your entire body?

"Stress" is the term we use when your body activates its "Fight or Flight" response. This response is designed to protect you from danger. Specifically, it causes your brain to release a bunch of hormones that give you a surge of energy. The level of these hormones is supposed to go down when the threat passes, but if you're dealing with regular stress, this doesn't happen. Instead, your "Fight or Flight" response is always churning - meaning those hormones are constantly surging through your body.

That can lead to all kinds of physical problems, including:

- Heart disease

- High blood pressure

- A higher risk for stroke

- Weight gain

- Immunity issues (meaning you'll get sick more often)

- Sleep issues

- Headaches

- Acne

- Muscle aches

All of that stress can also cause emotional problems, including:

- Irritability

- Difficulty concentrating

- Anxiety

When you look at it that way, it's easy to see why 90% of all doctors' visits are related to stress!

So, how do you prevent these problems from invading your life?

First, realize that you'll never be able to eliminate all stress. Between work, school, and your personal life, there's always going to be something that stresses you out. Unfortunately, stress is an unavoidable part of life!

That being said, there are some things you can do to limit the amount of stress in your life:

1. Make a list of everything that stresses you out.

Then, figure out which things you can control. After that, promise yourself that you'll stop worrying about the things you can't control.

2. Ask for help.

No one can do everything, so don't hesitate to lean on your support system. For example, if picking up your kids after school causes a stressful time crunch, ask a friend or family member to pick them up for you.

3. Get plenty of "me time".

No matter how busy you are, you've got a few minutes to soak in a relaxing bath, read a chapter of your favorite book, or watch your favorite TV show. This personal time doesn't have to take long to make a major impact on how you feel!

4. Start taking advantage of relaxation techniques.

There's scientific evidence that yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises can calm you down and help alleviate the physical issues you're battling because of stress.

5. Talk to your doctor.

You don't have to live with the physical symptoms of excessive stress. Tell your doctor what issues you're dealing with. He or she may have some easy ways to eliminate your suffering!

My #1 stress-busting tip?

Simple...

6. Get more sleep!

Every study I've ever seen on the subject has said that most folks don't get near enough sleep, the consequences of which are often disastrous.

A good night's sleep allows your body to heal itself, your mind to process all the stuff that's going on in your life, and your vital power to recharge, all of which allow you to better cope with the stressful events of your life without ill effect.

I've found that with a good night's sleep I can easily deal with practically anything, whereas without it even the most minor of incidents turns into a big, stressful event.

How much sleep do you need?

In his book The New Science of Living and Healing, Wallace D. Wattles said this about it:

"In a vast majority of cases eight hours is about the right length of time to pass in sleep every day. More than eight hours is too much. It is generally better to sleep six hours than ten."

My experience has found that to be true.

For more on the importance of sleep and some of the best health and wellness information you'll ever find, I suggest reading Mr. Wattles' books The New Science of Living and Healing and The Science of Being Well. Click or tap the links below to get your copies today.

09/14/2014

Between your boss, your spouse, your kids, and everything else in your life, it's easy to see how things can spin out of control on a regular basis. You feel like you're being pulled in a million different directions, and all you can think about is how exhausted, overwhelmed, and stressed out you feel.

It's kind of like living inside a pressure cooker, right?!

Fortunately, it isn't hard to introduce some balance into your life. You don't have to quit your job or abandon your loved ones to feel more at peace. Instead, a few simple changes can help the stress start to fade away. Best of all, they're all changes you can make for yourself - instead of hoping and praying the people around you will change!

Here's what you need to do:

1. Take better care of yourself.

Be honest, when's the last time you got a full 8 hours sleep? When's the last time you had a healthy dinner, instead of grabbing something at the nearest drive-thru? When's the last time you actually made time to go to the gym, instead of just talking about it?

No matter what's going on in your life, you're not going to be able to deal with it if you're not meeting your own basic needs. Constantly skimping on sleep, filling your body with junk food, and missing out on all of the feel-good hormones that get released during a workout is your body's equivalent of running on fumes. It won't take long for you to "run out of gas" altogether!

Think about it - everything seems worse when you're tired or hungry. How can you possibly expect to deal with things positively and rationally if you're not giving your body the TLC it needs? A good night's sleep or a home cooked meal won't completely eliminate stress from your life, but it will give you the strength you need to overcome life's hurdles.

2. Give yourself some quiet time.

Getting 8 hours of sleep each night isn't going to do much if you spend the other 16 hours in a complete tizzy! You owe it to yourself to snag a little bit of quiet time each day. Even if it's only a few minutes of meditation or a half hour in the tub, you'll be amazed at how refreshed you feel after some "me time".

Most people equate quiet time with being selfish, but that's definitely not the case! Some daily quiet time will make you better equipped to deal with all your daily demands, so you won't just be helping yourself. You'll also be helping the people around you!

3. Be flexible.

One of the biggest sources of stress is rigid expectations. Think about it - you probably have a very concrete mental picture of how your life is "supposed" to be. Then, when circumstances make it impossible to have that perfect mental picture, you get upset, overwhelmed, and exhausted.

Like it or not, problems and challenges are going to pop up, and they're going to interfere with that mental picture. Instead of freaking out when they do, focus on being more flexible. That way, you won't get caught up thinking about expectations that aren't being fulfilled.

Part of being flexible means being willing to let go of activities that no longer complement your lifestyle. For example, if you agreed to host weekly book club meetings years ago - and now, reading the book and getting your house clean in time for the meeting does nothing but stress you out - stop. There's no law that says you have to host the meetings forever and ever.

Bottom line - if you're the tree that can bend with the breeze, you'll be much less likely to snap!

Want balance in your life? My Wallace D. Wattles Quick Start Guide will help you create the environment to make that possible. Click or tap the link below to get your copy today.

No Kindle? No problem! Click or tap here to get a free Kindle reading app for your device.

03/03/2016 Update: If you've completed my Wallace D. Wattles Quick Start Guide and want to take what you learned from it to the next level, I highly recommend my Wallace D. Wattles Advanced Vision Guide. Click or tap the link below to get your copy today.

Click or tap here to get the Wallace D. Wattles Advanced Vision Guide on Amazon Kindle.

No Kindle? No problem! Click or tap here to get a free Kindle reading app for your device.

02/16/2014

Things like smartphones, tablets, and laptops were supposed to make our lives easier. After all, they can give you everything from directions, to recipes, to emails all at the touch of a button - no matter where you are.

So, why do you feel more anxious than ever?

Because you've got a case of "Tech Stress"!

It may not be considered a real disease, but Tech Stress can make you feel sick. Think about that knot in your stomach every time the email notification on your phone goes "ding". Or, think about the cold sweat that develops when you can't access that all-important file on your laptop. Or, think about the pounding headache you get from trying to read important information on a teeny-tiny screen.

When you look at it that way, Tech Stress is very real - and, eventually, very debilitating!

Unfortunately, those mobile devices can lead to very obsessive behavior. Don't believe me? Just try and count the number of times you check your email in a single hour! They can also lead to burnout because they make you available to work emails 24/7. When something's buzzing in your pocket every time a new email comes in, you're simply driving up your stress level.

So, how do you soothe the symptoms of Tech Stress?

- Change your routine.

Use your mobile devices as little as possible for an entire day. Once you get out of the rut of checking Facebook 20 times a day or reading every email that goes "ding!", you'll feel much better. You'll also be able to prove to yourself you CAN live without your gadgets!

- Change your notification settings.

If the temptation is just too great, tell your phone to cut it out. Seriously. All you have to do is adjust your settings so your email only refreshes when you tell it to. The same goes for Facebook and Twitter. That way, nothing will "ding", vibrate, or flash on a constant basis - and you won't have a gnawing urge to "just read this one thing".

- Set a deadline.

Your mobile devices may be able to link you to the office 24/7, but that doesn't mean you have to WORK 24/7. Establish start and end times for work communication - like 9 to 5. That way, if an email comes in at 8 PM, you won't have to stress over it right before bed. Instead, you can deal with it when you're refreshed in the morning.

- Have a "pre-bedtime".

Think there's nothing wrong with grabbing your smartphone, tablet, or laptop right before bed? Think again! All that artificial light has actually been proven to disrupt sleep. And, unfortunately, being tired is only going to make the symptoms of Tech Stress worse! So, do yourself a favor, and turn off all gadgets one hour before bed. This "pre-bedtime" can mean the difference between stress and sanity!

05/29/2016 Update: Want to from overwhelm to total control fast? I highly recommend my Wallace D. Wattles Productivity Acceleration Guide! Click or tap the link below to get your copy today.

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